Movie to shoot scenes in Lewiston grocery

LEWISTON – A Mainer’s low-budget movie production is coming to Lewiston.
The cast and crew of “The Putt Putt Syndrome,” including some of the movie’s stars, plan to take over the Save-A-Lot grocery store off Lisbon Street on Sunday night and again Wednesday, July 1.
Director Allen Cognata will shoot several scenes of his dark comedy at the store, production coordinator Heather Condon said. The work will include at least 20 people to be hired as background actors.
The movie stars Jason London, best known for his roles in 1993’s “Dazed and Confused” and 2000’s “Jason & the Argonauts.” Also in the cast are David Chokachi from “Baywatch,” Thea Gill from “Queer as Folk,” Heather Tom from “The Bold and the Beautiful” and Robert Maschio, who plays Dr. Todd Quinlan on TV’s “Scrubs.”
Cognata, who also wrote the screenplay, is shooting primarily in Winthrop, where he lives.
The movie is about a man who thinks he has a perfect life, until a seed of doubt sends him spiraling into a midlife crisis, according to a news release. Eventually, he comes to realize that he has been taking his wife and children for granted and not living life to its fullest potential.
Despite an “ultra-low budget,” the cast includes several members of the Screen Actors Guild, a potentially costly move. Cognata is also using some state-of-the-art technology, shooting with a Sony F35 high-definition camera, according to the release.
To keep costs down, Cognata is working with local caterers, an appliance store and an auto body shop. He also enlisted several high school students to draw storyboards to outline the movie’s action.